3 spaces you need for your lineouts

Tactically and technically, you need to make sure you look after and look for three spaces when you are forming your lineout. Here’s why each one matters.

There are three spaces in the lineout:

1. The space between the lineouts
2. The spacing between our players
3. The spaces in their lineout

1 KEEP THE 1M GAP TO AVOID BRINGING THEM INTO THE GAME

By law, there should be a metre gap between the two lineouts. We have to ensure this gap is maintained, so we aren’t crowded by the opposition and allow them into the game.

2 CONSISTENCY IN OUR SET UPS

When we form the lineout, whatever lineout set-up we are using, we want to match up with what we did in training. It’s important to do this the same as we practised because it affects the routines for movement and then the timing for the throw. So whether it’s for example a seven man lineout with a 3-3-1 or 3-2-2 spacing, the players are consistent with what we set out in the week before.

3 FINDING SPACE IN THE LINEOUT

The opposition cannot cover all 15m of the lineout. When we arrive at the lineout, they will cover certain spaces and not others. We have to understand what the defence is aiming to do to help us make the right calls to find the space.

Some teams, like the All Blacks, will mostly aim to mirror your jumping pods. In which case, through movement, we have to either beat them into the air, or beat them over the ground. Other teams, like the South Africans, will often give you spaces in the lineout they want you to throw. They might line up spaced 1-3-3, offering you the front of the lineout.

Either we chose to win the ball at the front, or trust ourselves to beat them at the middle or back.

The Wallabies (in gold) lineout jumping pod has found space to go up against Wales. The ball is cleanly won and cleared away quickly and effectively.